Brie
by aureus x
Summary: SEQUEL TO CADI x So...Eragon's free - for now. Galbotorix is vengeful - more than usual. Brie's a traitor - but still a snob. Cadi's evil - ! !. And Murtagh's dead - or is he? Read on...
1. Escape

"What exactly are we doing?" Eragon muttered into the darkness.

There was no answer. "Who are you, and what are we doing?" Eragon repeated, this time loudly and in an irritated tone.

"Well, there's gratitude for you." a voice muttered in an equally irritated tone. "I drag you from the dungeons, saving your life at the risk of my own, and that's all the thanks I get?"

Silence again. Eragon shifted uncomfortably, wishing he knew what exactly he was sitting on. "Thank you." He said finally, grudgingly. "For rescuing me. And for bringing me the food. And for visiting me."

The Voice sounded confused. "I didn't bring you any food, did I?"

Eragon had only a handful of blurred memories from the previous day, but he was sure that one of them included him being brought food. Without the food, there was no way he would have had enough strength to run. The food had saved him.

What else did he remember? Eragon thought hard. He'd been brought, limbs tied, to a dark hallway somewhere higher in the castle. Through the wall, he remembered hearing sounds of feasting, chatter, and instruments. And then? He didn't quite remember. Somebody had come, untied him, and then they ran through the darkness. They might have crossed a few hallways that were lit. Running had exhausted him so much that he passed out. Then he'd woken up here, in the darkness.

"Why are we here?" he asked.

"Oh, I'm sorry." The Voice replied sarcastically. "Perhaps you'd rather me return you to the king?"

"No. Sorry. This is good."

There was another, short, pause before he thought of another question. "What time of day is it?"

"Does it really matter?" the Voice said. "If you must know, it's nearly dawn."

Eragon gave up the questioning and decided to focus on analyzing the voice. Female, definitely. Irritated, definitely. Not very high, but not low either. If it weren't so annoyed, it might even be considered sweet. Fairly young, as well. Hmm.

"We can go." The Voice interrupted his musings about the Voice. "Carefully now. We don't want anybody to see. I'll go first."

The door opened a sliver, and Eragon winced at the bright light pouring in. He squinted to see what the Voice looked like, but his eyes were tearing too badly.

"Come with me." A soft hand grasped his, and he was led outside. The door slammed behind him. "Shh! Not a sound. Come on."

Eragon forced his eyes a bit wider. They were in a dark, stony hallway of the castle that definitely wasn't a housing section. Through tiny windows in the walls, sunlight trickled in. Dawn was breaking.

"Wait here." The Voice said. Eragon strained his eyes, but could only distinguish that it was a petite girl, with a gauzy veil over her head. When she turned suddenly and disappeared through another door, the fabric of her robe brushed against his arm, and he could tell that the material was fine and expensive. When she had gone, he slumped against the wall, too exhausted to think. His stomach had begun to growl again. Eragon placed his head in his hands and drifted into a half-sleep, and the words that drifted from inside the door didn't quite register in his brain.

"Will you be all right?" one voice whispered to another.

"Yes, I will. Go quickly, there isn't much time."

"But what do I do?!"

"Use this sack...good, just like that. Will you be all right?"

"I hope so. What's he like?"

"Too inquisitive. He never shuts up! And he's a bit unsteady from lack of food. I packed some here."

There was a pause. "Thank you. You don't know how much this means."

"I think I do. Don't worry. I'll take care of everything. You'll see."

"So you'll be all right while I'm gone?"

"Yes, I'll be perfect. Now hurry!"

The girl was back, standing above Eragon. "Wake up!"

"Euhh…" Eragon mumbled.

"Please, get up, before anyone sees!" Eragon blinked his eyes open, and now he could see the face under the veil. Peaked and pale, with eyes as blue as robin's eggs and wisps of golden curls that framed the angelic face.

"I'm up…" Eragon muttered, struggling to his feet.

"Eat this. Carry this. Follow me."

A slice of cheese was forced into his mouth and a sack was dropped at his feet. Shaking his head to clear his thoughts, Eragon swallowed the cheese, heaved the burlap bag over his shoulder, and trudged down the hallway after the Voice.

---

Cadi was a sorry sight. Tear-stained cheeks, bedraggled hair, trembling limbs, and a pitiful expression that no amount of makeup could hide. She was in no condition to work, and yet there she was, sitting at the king's right hand at the long table in the room that had previously been the Egg Chamber. The rest of the table was filled with the most trusted generals of the army, the most skilled magicians, the shrewdest politicians.

"…actions should be firm and violent." One general was saying from somewhere down the table. "No mercy should be…"

Gray fog obscured her thoughts and vision and her ears didn't seem to function. Cadi sat, dazed, unaware of her surroundings, with only one thought pounding in her mind. _Murtagh. Murtagh is dead. Galbatorix hung Murtagh. Murtagh is dead. My Murtagh's dead._

Torren was speaking, but Cadi's mind was elsewhere.

Galbatorix was speaking.

Some general was speaking. The thought that his mustache resembled a caterpillar drifted across Cadi's consciousness.

Another general was speaking.

A magician was speaking.

Winston was speaking. She shut out his booming voice, the one she usually listened to so intently. How could he speak? How could he function? How could life in Uru'baen continue? Murtagh was gone.

Galbatorix was speaking again.

Galbatorix was still speaking.

Why wouldn't Galbatorix's voice just go away?

And he was still talking.

"CADI!!"

Cadi jerked in her chair, stunned by his sudden roar. She looked around, the room was empty. "I've been calling you for the past five minutes!" Galbatorix exclaimed.

"Sorry, your majesty." Cadi muttered, starting to get up to go.

"Hold on for a minute." Galbatorix said. "I'd like to speak to you."

"Can't it wait?" Cadi replied, walking towards the door.

"No!"

Cadi stopped. _The king is an important person, right?_ She thought._ Important people should be listened to. And he's talking to me. So…I should listen to him. But Murtagh's dead_…

"I just want to offer my sincerest apologies." The king said compassionately. "I understand your terrible grief. Murtagh was my dearest friend and comrade, and I have not only lost him, but also my beloved daughter."

The words only half-registered in Cadi's mind. "Gabriell was a spoiled brat" she said, without even realizing it.

To her surprise, the king only laughed. "I suppose so." He said. "However, I feel terrible, terrible loss. I understand, Cadi. I do hope you understand what caused this."

"Well, you killed him."

"Why yes, but you do understand the circumstances? He assisted the escape of Eragon and the capture of the princess of the Empire. With the information that the rebel could have provided, the terrible crimes and the evil of the Varden could have been stopped."

"What are you saying?"

"I was forced into this." The king said emphatically. "The actions of the Varden forced me to destroy my dearest friend. Do you hear me? The Varden killed Murtagh."

"The Varden…killed Murtagh?"

"Yes! You understand."

"They killed him? Eragon killed him?"

"Eragon killed him. Nasuada killed him. Orrik. Roran. Arya. I know these names are familiar to you. The leaders of the Varden, they're all evil. They hated Murtagh, they hate me, and they hate you. They want all of us dead."

"They're…horrible." Cadi said dully. The words began to register in her mind. The Varden, which hated Murtagh, killed him. The Varden was causing her this pain. And they were happy about it. Happy! Rejoicing in the death of Murtagh, perfect, kind Murtagh, her best friend, who'd never done anything to hurt them. Anger, hatred, and a thirst for vengeance started to replace the dull ache. "They killed him? They wanted to?"

"Yes, it's terrible." The king said sympathetically. "To wish such a terrible fate on our dear friend, who never did anything to hurt them. Cadi, we must take action now."

"Action? To hurt them, right?"

"Certainly. To hurt them like they have hurt you, Cadi. We'll wipe them out."

"That sounds…good."

"Very good, don't you think? Will you work harder than ever now, Cadi?"

"Work hard? Will that hurt them?"

"It most certainly will. Listen to me, Cadi. Work as hard as ever you can under Winston and Torren. I will teach you too. You'll begin flying lessons on your new dragon, Rigel. By the way, he's yours now. You'll learn battle strategies, horseback riding…everything you need know. And when we meet the Varden in battle, you'll be able to unleash all of your power and give them what they justly deserve. Does that sound good? Fair?"

"Very good." Cadi said faintly. "Very fair."

"That's good. I'm so glad that we have the same opinions, Cadi. Now, head back to your room. You're tired."

That was an understatement. Before Cadi had even taken two steps out of the room, she collapsed. Physicians carried her to her room, and the city was in a panic, as Cadi drifted in and out of consciousness, with fevers that would have killed any normal girl, seizures that took over her entire body, wild nightmares, and frantic mumblings under her breath. Nobody knew that the 'medicine' from Galbatorix was weakening her mind and her body, that the doctors that stayed in her room day and night were not really doctors, but hypnotists.

A week later, she awoke. She had no remembrance of the past week, but she was sure of one thing. The Varden was evil. Hatred of it filled her entire being. Eragon had murdered Murtagh in cold blood. And she was going to make them pay. Even if it took the rest of her life, they would pay.


	2. Across the Empire

"We're almost there." The blonde girl assured Eragon confidently, although she was trembling with exhaustion. "Just to the other side of this rafter, and there's a trapdoor we can use to drop into the dragonhold."

Eragon glanced up at the girl. "You're awfully sure about this. How do you know about this trapdoor?"

"I told you, I worked in the dragonhold, shoveling straw and feeding them and such." The girl said impatiently. Eragon couldn't help noticing that her eyes were the brightest blue he'd ever seen, as blue as the sky behind her. She was a pretty girl. But still, he couldn't be so overcome by her looks that he forgot to be careful about whether or not to trust her.

"So you're a maid?"

There was a pause. "Yes." She finally said, firmly. 

"What's your name?"

Another pause. "Just call me Brie." The girl said. 

Brie. A typical maid's name. Eragon relaxed a little, just in time to notice that Brie's foot was sliding dangerously down the treacherous incline that they were struggling to climb. He reached out just in time to catch her ankle, noticing as he did that she was wearing a sparkling anklet studded with priceless, pale blue aquamarine gems. Not something that a typical maid would wear, but then, Eragon didn't know anything about life in Uru'baen. Perhaps it was a way to keep track of them or something. 

"Careful there…" Eragon said kindly. "You don't want to lose your footing." 

It was actually hard to not lose your footing. Climbing up the outside of a glass dome was extremely difficult, even with the help of magic. And even more difficult was trying to remain hidden while climbing up a glass dome. The most difficult of all? Hoisting a corpse in a sack over your shoulder and attempting to keep an extraordinarily weak, magic-less girl from falling a hundred miles to her death, while climbing up a glass dome _and_ trying to remain hidden. Eragon shifted the weight from one shoulder to the other, grimacing when he noticed bloodstains all over the bag. "Disgusting." He muttered under his breath. "Who's in here anyway?"

"It doesn't matter." Brie said matter-of-factly, although her hands shook even more and she refused to look Eragon in the eye. "Any dead body will do. All you need to do is offer it to the dragon, sort of as a peace offering. It'll carry you anywhere."

"Anywhere, such as, back to the Varden?"

"_Anywhere_." The girl said in a voice tinged with extreme annoyance. Under her breath, she added, "She was right, you_ are_ annoyingly inquisitive." Her tone told Eragon to stop asking questions, but he couldn't help himself. 

"We're taking the smaller dragon, right?" The green one, the younger one. He definitely had doubts that this plan would work. What dragon would willfully leave its rider? But he knew they couldn't take Thorn. He would never leave Murtagh. But he also wasn't sure how attached the green dragon was to the magician girl. 

"No." The girl answered, dragging herself over a silver beam, one of the many that spiderwebbed across the surface of the dome. "We're taking the red one. Now shut up and get inside, we haven't got any time to waste."

Eragon paused and looked around as Brie lifted up a glass trapdoor that had been nearly indiscernible against the rest of the glass. It was midmorning, perhaps. They had been climbing for a long time. There was a gentle breeze and the sky was cloudlessly blue. "Time to waste?" he asked. 

"Yes, time to waste – before the king finds out something's amiss." Brie said. "Now stop asking questions! Help me get inside here, and I promise you we'll be out of Uru'baen in less than an hour."

"Why do you want to leave?" the question was out before Eragon could stop it.

Brie gave him a steely glance. "I have my reasons." She snapped. "But if you ask one more question, I'll-"

"Okay!" Eragon said hastily. "Sorry, sorry." He peered through the trapdoor at the straw-covered floor of the dragonhold, hundreds of feet below. "So how are we planning to get down there?" 

Brie gave him an incredulous look. "You can use magic, can't you, boy?"

"Oh. Right." Eragon said hastily. _This girl is really bossy for a maid_. He thought, as he levitated them both down carefully, until their feet hit the straw-covered floor. Their sack hit the floor behind them with a painful thud. Eragon didn't understand why Brie winced. The guy was dead, after all.

"I don't see any dragons." Eragon noted, looking around the unbelievably huge room. 

Brie shot him a disgusted glance. "Not this early in the morning, of course! They're sleeping. Why don't you search over there?"

So much for being out of Uru'baen in an hour – in just one cavernous room of the dragonhold, Eragon spent nearly two hours searching warily for any glints of red scales. Nothing. And then he got lost trying to find his way back to where they had come in. But when he finally reached it, he saw Brie sitting on the ground before the enormous red dragon. Thorn didn't seem to be angry, so Eragon crept closer.

"He's not going to bite!" Brie said in exasperation, motioning him closer. "Come on. We're leaving. Get on."

"Did he really agree to take us?" Eragon found this hard to believe.

"Didn't I say he would?" Brie said smugly. "Now, put that sack onto the saddle. I told him he'd get it after we arrived at the Varden."

"All right." Eragon said, swinging himself up onto the saddle. To his surprise, Brie remained seated. 

"Could you come help me?" she asked stiffly, and Eragon had to climb back down and pick her up off the ground.

"What happened?" he asked. "Aren't you strong enough to get up by yourself?"

"Of course I am!" Brie said scathingly. "My legs just fell asleep, that's all. I've been negotiating with this dragon for hours while you were off wandering around, lost."

Eragon helped her onto the saddle, and he climbed on behind her. The sack was placed in front of Brie.

"Now open those doors with magic." Brie instructed. "And off we go. If we circle around immediately and fly into the plains, then double around and fly out of sight from the city, nobody will notice. The king is in a meeting now, so he won't see a thing."

"How do you know all this?" Eragon asked. 

"I told you!" Brie sounded really annoyed now. "The maids know everything. Can you stop asking questions for a minute so we can leave?"

The glass doors creaked open, and Thorn's wings began to beat. He lifted off the ground and into the air, and Eragon felt exhilaration in every fiber of his body. He was free. 

---

It was twilight by the time Eragon and Brie landed in a field of tall, waving grass. Eragon started a small fire, placed the sack as comfortably as possible on a bedroll, and started cooking the last of the lamb. _Ughh – carrying a corpse with us! Who knows when it's going to start decomposing? _Brie sat huddled by the fire, swathed in blankets and shivering. _For a maid, she's ridiculously weak and incompetent._ Eragon noted. _I wonder why she wasn't fired long before this. Nobody I know would want somebody like this working for me._

"So, why exactly did you run?" Eragon asked, when the fire was finally burning steadily. "I mean, you must really hate the Empire. You know you've committed treason – if you're caught, you'd be hanged."

Brie met his gaze steadily. "I told you before. The overseer beat me, and I wouldn't have it. It's like they demand slave labor."

"Well, that's what it is." Eragon pointed out dryly. "How did you become a slave anyway?"

Brie gave him a strange look this time, but she seemed to have to think hard to come up with an answer. "You ask the strangest questions. Well…the same way as everyone else becomes a maid. Right?"

"You were born into it?"

"Yes, exactly." Brie said hastily. "That's what I meant. I…never knew my mother. My father…died too. Not long after I was born."

Eragon met her gaze. "I'm so sorry. I'm sure he was a good man."

Brie paused again, looking trapped. But then she exclaimed. "Nobody in Uru'baen was very good, really. That's why I'm escaping. I'm hoping the people in the Varden will be kinder."

"You saved my life." Eragon said gratefully. "I'm sure they'll be very kind to you."

"Are you sure?" Brie said skeptically. "The rulers of Uru'baen, Galbatorix and Cadi, were terrible people."

"Oh, that reminds me!" Eragon exclaimed, skewering a piece of lamb and handing it to Brie. "Do you know anything about Cadi?"

"Yes." Brie grumbled darkly. "Too much."

"You mean, you were her maid?"

"Her maid!" Brie gave him such an angry glare that he shrunk backwards. "Please! I would never." She cocked her head to the side as she thought. "She came up to the dragonhold a lot." Brie lied glibly. "And many of my friends served her."

"She's beautiful." Eragon said appreciatively, staring dreamily out over the rapidly darkening fields. He didn't miss Brie's irritated expression and mocking snort. "What, you don't like her?"

Brie's mind worked fast. "Who does? Cadi's _terrible_. Her maids tell horror stories about her in the servant's quarters. She mistreats her dragon, too."

Eragon was shocked. "Really?"

"Yes. She's ready to be the next ruler of the Empire, you know. She may be beautiful, but she's twisted, and self-centered, and horrible! Like…like Galbatorix. She takes _everything_ for granted, takes things that aren't rightfully hers." Brie stabbed angrily at the bonfire with a stick. "She never had to work for anything in her life. I hate her!"

Eragon was troubled. "Are you sure she's all bad? She brought me food, you know."

Now Brie was the startled one. "What? She visited you?" 

"Yes, some time after you did." Eragon smirked. "You thought I didn't remember? I remember you coming in. Tell me something, how did you manage to get in there?"

Brie smiled. "I'm very good friends with a lot of the servants and guards. They let me in." _Gosh, I'm getting better and better at lying. I hope he's believing everything I tell him. _

Eragon yawned. "I'm exhausted. Do you want any more lamb?" There were a few pieces left in the bottom of the pan. 

"No, I'm not really hungry at all." Brie shook her head. "I'm sure I'll regain my appetite soon."

"By that time we'll have no food left." Eragon laughed, checking inside the moneybag. "There's hardly a few pence left, and I don't know how we'll manage to get all the way back to the Varden without thievery."

"There's no need for thievery." Brie said quietly. From her satchel, she took out a wonderfully carved ivory box and handed it to him. Eragon gasped when he opened it and was faced with priceless jewels. Packed into the bottom of the box was exquisitely embroidered silk clothing and dozens of gleaming gold coins. "I think that selling these along the way will last us the entire trip, don't you agree?"

"WHERE did you get this?" Eragon gasped, lifting up a strand of priceless black pearls. 

"Stole it from Cadi's endless supply, of course." Brie replied. "She loves hoarding jewelry. Never wears it either, it's just packed into crates in her room. I've heard that she takes items out of the palace treasury and keeps them for herself."

"What's this?" Eragon examined an enormous aquamarine brooch with an ornate G carved into it. "Her name doesn't start with G. This is beautiful…"

Brie leaned over and snatched it away from a surprised Eragon. "G for…Galbatorix, of course!" she exclaimed. "Cadi's obsessed with him, or pretends to be, at least. Probably just looking for a large share of the inheritance. And I'd rather we not sell this one. I'm rather attached to it. It's beautiful."

Eragon had already completely forgotten about the gemstones. "What do you mean, get a part in his inheritance? Wouldn't she already?"

"Why would she?"

"I mean, her being the princess and all-"

"Cadi is NOT THE PRINCESS!" Brie shouted, making Eragon jump with astonishment. "She's just a maid." Brie continued, calming down. "Nothing but a maid."

"A maid?" Eragon gasped. 

"A maid with a bit of talent. Nothing more." Brie snapped. "I don't even know why Galbatorix noticed her in the first place. How could he have known about her? There are millions of maids."

"So there's no princess after all…" Eragon mused. 

"No, I suppose not." Brie said frostily. "And if you don't mind, I'm rather tired. I'd like to sleep. Put out the fire now." 

Obediently, Eragon put out the fire, leaving only a few glowing embers. When he looked over, Brie was already fast asleep. _A rather odd girl, but nice too. Mysterious. _ Eragon thought. _Anyway, I'm forever in her debt. Who knows what would have happened if she didn't save me? She's changed the fate of the entire Varden. Of the entire world, perhaps._


	3. Receptions

"This…must be it

A week later, after her lessons, Cadi sat down to sign some letters that were stacked on her desk. She glanced at the first one. Apparently it was from her to the Dragon Keeper, requesting better care for Rigel. That sounded reasonable. She signed her name at the bottom with a flourish. The next requested that the maids do a more thorough job of cleaning Rigel's harnesses. Cadi cocked her head to the side – Rigel's harnesses seemed fine to her. But then she shrugged – they could always use some more buffing. Who knows who had written this one? She examined the handwriting. Probably Torren. Another signature. The next letter condemned the trade of Cadi figurines in the streets of Uru'baen. Cadi smirked as she read the quote, "I find these miniature models of me offensive in every way. The street beggars should by no means be allowed to take advantage of my image and use it for their own profit." _Whoever wrote this one for me to sign sure doesn't like those beggars._ This time, her signature sent hundreds of soldiers after the starving beggars of the city.

A while later, there was a knock on the door. "It's a visitor here to speak with you, my lady, if you allow him to." The courier said.

"Send him in." Cadi replied, signing the last letter with a flourish. She set the quill down, rubbing her sore wrist, as a handsome young soldier entered the room, looking frightened.

"Sit." Cadi invited him in, and so he lowered himself awkwardly onto a nearby couch. "What is it you wished to tell me?"

"Well…if I may, my lady…it's rumors, people talking about Lord Murtagh…maybe still bein' alive." The soldier said, not meeting her eyes. "They're turrible frightnin', my lady, and I've been rememberin' things that I've wanted to forget."

"If there have been rumors, then are nonsense." Cadi said calmly, almost frigidly. In truth, she had been hearing these rumors too, but decided to ignore them – there was no use in getting all hopeful just to be heartbroken again. "Thank heavens, the traitor Murtagh has gotten what he deserves once and for all. Hanging."

"That's just it, Lady Cadi." The soldier said. "My work sometimes includes shifts in the executioners, and hangin's not what people think it is. Yer see…it's tradition to have nobles hung from the dome of the palace."

"I know this." Cadi said.

"But some people say it's displeasin' to the gods to have people killed near them. People say spirits kin sense when a body dies, and don't like it very well, and so we kill the body firs', and _then_ hang it up on the dome, symbolically, yer see, my lady. We're not supposed to tell anybody this, though."

"I don't see a problem. What exactly is it you wished to see me about?"

"It's a bit gruesome, my lady…"

"I can handle it." Cadi said, starting to sound impatient.

The soldier noticed. "It's like this, yer see." He said quickly. "When I go in the dungeons, the prisoners' bodies are already put in bags. The bags are…well…we crush them under a grindin' stone to kill the guy. Then the bags are hung from the pinnacle of the dome to honor the traditions. And yer see, I was the one 'oo carried out the…eh, procedure…for Lord Murtagh's body. But I noticed when I picked the sack up, it was unnatural light. Unnatural. A grown man's body shouldn't weigh that lightly, but I was under orders so I didn't check inside."

"You're saying that you think the body that was executed wasn't Murtagh's?" Cadi asked, trying hard to keep her body language skeptical. She hid her quivering hands in the folds of her dress.

"That's what I'm sayin', my lady. Maybe, just maybe. I'm none too certain about this, so if you would, my lady, I'd rather not have the king know…"

"I won't tell a soul." Cadi said smoothly. "But answer me one thing. If Murtagh's body was to have been…misplaced, or moved, where could it have gone?"

The soldier had to think for a minute. "Well, there's a room right by the chamber containing the grinding stone. It's storage for the executioners, but there's also a passage that hardly anyone knows about that leads into the dragonhold. The body might've been hidden there, because nobody really uses the room. It's too small, and unlit – without a torch, there ain't much a body could see inside. Just plain inconvenient."

Cadi recalled something Murtagh had said the day of the feast, the day he died._ "If Eragon is smart enough to threaten Gabriell with death unless she supplies him with the information she needs, she'll tell him everything she knows about the thousands of secret passageways – and she knows a lot."_

She gave the soldier a condescending smile and said, "I'm happy that you felt the need to inform me of this, but I'm afraid you're mistaken. For a traitor as important as Lord Murtagh, stringent security measures would have been taken to ensure that he would never be able to escape. Thank you, though. Pray tell me your name, so that I may commend you to your commanding officer."

"It's Byron." The soldier said, looking amazed that the Lady Cadi, the ice queen, was actually bothering to pay a common soldier any attention. "Byron of the Fifth Sector. My commanding officer is Lord Sanborn."

"I know him well." Cadi said, smiling. "Thank you. You may go."

Byron bowed and exited, but Cadi hardly noticed. _Murtagh may be alive. Murtagh may be alive. He might be alive! He could be. He could be._ Feeling lightheaded, Cadi stumbled up the steps and fell into her bed.

--

Two weeks later, Thorn's powerful red wings beat over a sparsely vegetated, vast expanse of dry, dry dirt. Brie clung to Eragon's back as they circled lower and lower. Over these past few days, the two had grown quite close – but usually the only thing they talked about was Cadi. Eragon found a certain fascination in the girl, and Brie was more than willing to tell Eragon all the nasty facts about her. Now they squinted down at what looked like some sort of encampment among the trees and brushes.

"This…must be it." Eragon muttered finally.

"_That's_ the Varden?" Brie exclaimed in disgust, staring down at the scattered tents among the trees. She had been expecting a vast fortified city like Uru'baen. "Burlap tents in the desert? This is the Varden?"

"It's not how I remembered it." Eragon said quickly. "There must be some explanation as to why they're on the move. Let's go. Come on."

As Thorn swooped lower, people began peering out of their tents. Shouting arose from the entire camp, and by the time they reached the landing clearing, crowds were gathered, crying, laughing, shouting. Eragon looked around for people he knew, but he saw no one.

"Come on." He said to Brie. "We're home."

Before Eragon's foot even touched the ground, Arya came running up caught him in an embrace, tears streaming down her cheeks. "How did you ever escape?" she sobbed. "We've all been so worried…oh, Eragon, we thought you were dead…"

Awkwardly, Eragon patted Arya on the back several times. Something registered in the back of his mind that he should be delighted at this reception from Arya, but he only felt embarrassment and a bit of unease.

"Eragon, my boy!" Orik joined them and also welcomed Eragon with a hug. "You've no idea how glad we are to see you…no idea…"

Then they heard a dragon's shrieking from the sky, and Saphira was there – Eragon shouted in glee, tore away from Arya and ran to greet his dragon. But Saphira leapt backwards when she noticed Thorn there. The people had formed a tentative ring around Thorn, unsure as to whether he was good or bad. Thorn gave Saphira a baleful glare. Saphira responded with the same.

"But who is this?" Orik blustered, reaching up to help Brie off the saddle. She sat up straighter, icily ignoring his hand. Orik pulled back, confused.

"This is Brie." Eragon announced to the crowd. "She's the one who planned my escape. Without her, not only me, but the entire Varden would be ruined."

As applause rang from all around, Eragon added, "There's much I need to tell you." under his breath to Orik. "Galbatorix is growing stronger every day, his plans are broadening. It's terrifying to even consider, but we've got to mobilize an army immediately – RORAN!"

His cousin had come running, with Katrina and Nasuada not far behind, and the two men greeted each other with a shout and a happy hug. Eragon also smiled and embraced Katrina and Nasuada. Brie continued to sit on Thorn's saddle, staring frostily at the happy scene going on below her. One slim white hand was laid protectively on the awkward burlap bundle that sat in front of her on the saddle.

"Come on down, Brie." Eragon called for her. He reached up and gave her his hand, and this time, she came – tumbling ungracefully to the floor when her knees gave out. Along with her came the sack, which rent in half as it caught on a spike on Thorn's saddle and dumped its content onto the dirt. If possible, Brie became even whiter than she already was. But it was nothing compared to Eragon, who stumbled backwards, about to faint.

"MURTAGH!!" Orik roared, sending armed soldiers surging toward the commotion.

Like a cold wind blowing through, the chatter in the crowd died down to nothing. Then, like the rustling of leaves, whispers started and spread throughout the clearing. "Murtagh! It's Lord Murtagh. He's here! He's alive…"

"Murtagh!" Nasuada cried in a strangled voice, starting to run to him, but Arya reached out and held her back.

"Eragon, what's the meaning of this?" Roran thundered.

"Wha- What?" Eragon gasped, obviously completed bewildered. "Murtagh! Murtagh?"

"Disperse the crowd." Arya shouted. Saphira roared and blew out an enormous stream of flame, which sent all the people running for their tents.

"Who are you?" Orik demanded of Brie. "EXPLAIN THIS!"

With a shudder than ran through her entire body, Brie's eyes rolled up into her head, and she slumped into Eragon's arms in a dead faint.

"Take her!" a soldier shouted, and immediately four of them wrenched her away from Eragon and began to drag her body off. Another few soldiers began to remove Murtagh.

"HEY!" Eragon shouted. "Don't hurt them! Don't hurt her! STOP IT!" He ran after them, but Nasuada stepped in front of him. "Eragon, you don't know how dangerous she might be!" Nasuada reasoned with him, although her eyes lingered worriedly on the soldiers who were dragging off Murtagh.. "Just let her go – they'll take care of her."

"Eragon, you need rest as well!" Arya protested.

"First we need to find out what is going on here!" Roran demanded. Katrina, standing behind him pale-faced, nodded agreement.

"Everyone will function much better after they've had some rest." Arya said firmly, taking charge. "Come on, Eragon, I'll bring you to someplace you can sleep."

She apologized every step of the way to the tent. "I'm so, I'm so sorry!" she repeated over and over. "We're working on building a stone tower, but as of now, all we've got is tents. We'll put you in the _best_ one, Eragon. I'm sorry. The tower will be built before long. I'm so sorry! Once again – we'll place you in the very best tent. Well, it was Orik's, but he moved. I am sorry. I'm so sorry!"

"It's FINE!" Eragon finally exclaimed as they entered one of the tents, allowing himself to show his annoyance. "Please, Arya, I'm just exhausted."

Looking a bit frightened, Arya excused herself and Eragon, not even noticing his surroundings, promptly collapsed.

He woke up some time later, not knowing how long he had slept. The air was warm and dry, and it looked like twilight outside. He finally let himself observe his surroundings – a shoddy tent, with a rickety washstand, the bed he was on, an old chair, and the remains of a bonfire in the center. But he was satisfied – anything was better than the dungeons of Uru'baen.

_Welcome back, little one._

Eragon's heart filled with contentment. _Oh, Saphira, I missed you._

_And I worried about you, Eragon. _

_I'll be fine – there's much we need to talk about. I can't wait to go flying. But later – now I need to find the others and fill them in on what's going on. _

Eragon wandered outside and immediately saw Roran. "It's good to have you back." Roran said, falling into step with him. "We've all been worried sick. What exactly happened?"

"I'll tell you all together." Eragon said wearily. "There's a _lot_ to tell, important information, too. I can't think how furious Galbatorix must be. That's another thing we have to start preparing – an army, because Galbatorix will definitely be on the move." They brushed into the tent, where Orik, Arya, and Nasuada were already waiting. Everybody began talking at once.

"Who exactly is that girl?" Arya exclaimed.

"Please tell me about Murtagh!" Nasuada begged.

"What do you mean, Galbatorix's plans are broadening?" Orik roared.

"Let me start from the beginning." Eragon said, and they all sat on crates that surrounded the rickety table. "I was taken straight to Uru'baen after the capture. When the Ra'zac brought me into the dragonhold, I saw Murtagh and this girl, Cadi, right away."

"Roran and Katrina told us about the statue of her!" Orik exclaimed. "Is she the princess?"

"No, but she's a magician, stronger than Murtagh and everybody besides the king." Eragon spoke tersely. "The maid, Brie, has told me everything she knows about this Cadi. She used to be a serving maid, and the king noticed her talent and started her training. She's been instructed in swordfighting, the ancient language, horseback riding, close combat and other arts under the tutelage of the most brilliant minds in the palace, and is – was – going to be Murtagh's special protégé." He noticed the disapproving look in Nasuada's face, but continued on. "According to Brie, Cadi is ambitious, narrow-minded, maliciously mean, heartless and powerful beyond imagination. Galbatorix is raising her up to be the next ruler of the Empire."

Horror was expressed on the four faces that gaped towards him, but he continued. "I witnessed her power myself when she and Murtagh were joking around in my presence – they must have thought I was unconscious – and it's beyond imagination. She was going to examine my mind at a special ceremony, so that Galbatorix could learn everything there was to know about me and the Varden. But she was also instrumental in my escape – she brought me food when I was locked in the dungeons, which gave me the strength to follow Brie when she came to bring me out. Brie was a slave who worked in the dragonholds – she was beaten by her master and decided to escape with me through the secret passages that wind all throughout the castle. Just before I was brought out to be displayed at the ceremony, she came to where I was waiting, chained, and led me to this dark little room near the top of the castle, where we hid through the night, avoiding the guards. I don't quite remember the events of the next morning, but we ended up with a body – Murtagh's body, I know now – in a sack, and we climbed up the dome and found Thorn. He carried us away – I know now that it must have been because Brie showed him it was Murtagh while I was gone. He knew Brie, obviously, because she was a servant in the dragonhold. He carried us away, and it was miraculous that nobody noticed. We traveled for two weeks before arriving here."

"Extraordinary." Arya muttered. "There are so many more questions that need answering. When Murtagh awakens, we simply must question him. And the maid, too."

"I think Murtagh was tortured." Eragon said grimly. "His body is in horrible condition and needs immediately care. I think the king must have blamed him for my escape." Nasuada gasped, tears filling her eyes. "Brie needs care too, but of a different sort. She's extraordinarily weak and thin. I fear that her life in the palace was too hard for her. She should recover here, but she needs the best care, lots of food and plenty of sleep." Arya didn't look too pleased with Eragon's apparently care for the other girl, but immediately dispatched a messenger to the physicians with the notes.

"What if Murtagh and Thorn are only spies?" Orik wondered worriedly. "I mean, I thought he was under complete control of Galbatorix."

"We'll keep them under constraints, somehow." Eragon assured him. "But now, Galbatorix must know that they're is gone and he will suspect a plot, so we need to begin immediately preparations for an enormous battle. Galbatorix-" Eragon couldn't keep back an enormous yawn.

"We'll let you go now." Arya said compassionately. "Shall I show you around the encampment?"

"No need." Eragon said firmly, standing up. "but I want to go visit with Saphira, I've missed her terribly." With that, he strode out of the tent.

"I'll go inform the generals to begin mustering the army." Orik said, following Eragon.

"I think I'll go look after Murtagh in the physicians ward." Nasuada added. "How horrible that he was tortured…"

"And I'll come with you to talk to the healers about that maid." Arya added in a steely voice. "I'm very suspicious about Brie. Do you think it is believable that a mere maid could have snuck Eragon out of Uru'baen, right under Galbatorix's nose? I do hope this isn't some sort of conspiracy."

"We should be worrying about that Cadi girl too." Nasuada added. "Do you think she's as terrible as she sounds?"

Arya snorted. "She's the heir to the throne, apparently! Sounds like a miniature female Galbatorix to me. And of course, dangerously powerful."

"But I don't understand how Murtagh could like a girl like that – Eragon said that they were joking around." Nasuada worried. "Unless they have him totally brainwashed. A girl like that sounds terrible – no, Murtagh would never enjoy her company!"

They reached the tents of the physicians ward and let themselves in. The long tent was filled with cots lining the sides. They immediately spotted the two that they were searching for.

"How are they?" Arya asked a nearby doctor.

"Not quite well, my lady." He replied regretfully. "Of course, we are not fully healing Murtagh's wounds – he could be a traitor. But the wounds are deep and terrible, we could not heal them completely even if we should wish it. They were definitely inflicted using magic. Nearly all the skin on his back as taken off, and bones are broken too. But most disturbing is the head trauma. He seems to be un an unwakeable state of sleep. There's no telling whether or not he will recover."

"What about her?" Arya asked, motioning to the slim, pale girl beside him. With her eyes closed and hands folded on her blankets, she resembled an angel.

"This one will be fine, she's simply exhausted and undernourished. I can't imagine how terribly they treat the slaves in Uru'baen." The doctor said. "A lot of rest, fresh air, and healthy food…that's all she needs."

"Mmph…" Arya muttered. "Well, keep a close eye on her too. There's no telling – she's from Uru'baen just like any other, no matter how much she helped Eragon. Come along, Nasuada. Let's go check on the progress of the tower."


End file.
